Drug-resistant infections could kill over 8 million by 2050, report warns

Drug-resistant infections, often called “superbugs,” could cause over 8 million deaths annually by 2050 if global efforts to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR) do not accelerate, warns the latest 2026 AMR Benchmark released by the Access to Medicine Foundation.

The report, which evaluates 25 pharmaceutical companies including large research-based firms, generic medicine manufacturers, and small biotech enterprises, finds pockets of progress in antibiotic development and access, but warns that industry-wide efforts are falling behind the growing threat of drug resistance.

“We can tilt the battle against superbugs in humanity’s favour. Our findings show practical approaches that can ramp up progress on all fronts,” said Jayasree K. Iyer, CEO of the Access to Medicine Foundation.

The benchmark highlights that the pipeline for new antibiotics is shrinking, with large pharmaceutical companies reducing investment in infectious disease research. Despite this, seven innovative, late-stage drugs from companies including GSK, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, and Shionogi, as well as biotech firms BioVersys, F2G, Innoviva, and Venatorx, show promise against some of the deadliest drug-resistant pathogens.

GSK’s gepotidacin, for example, represents the first new oral antibiotic class for uncomplicated urinary tract infections in nearly 30 years. Innoviva’s zoliflodacin also introduces a new oral option for gonorrhoea, a disease affecting 82 million people globally and resistant to nearly all existing antibiotics.

The report also highlights critical access gaps, particularly for children in low- and middle-income countries. While companies like Aurobindo, GSK, Hikma, Sandoz, and Teva have registered child-friendly antibiotic formulations more widely than peers, 17 sub-Saharan African countries still lack any registered paediatric antibiotics from these companies.

“This means millions of children remain at risk of receiving suboptimal treatment, giving resistant infections a chance to spread,” the report notes.

More than 1 million people die each year directly from drug-resistant infections, with AMR contributing to over 4 million deaths in total. Without urgent, coordinated action, these numbers could nearly double by 2050, creating one of the gravest public health crises in modern history.

The foundation urges governments, policymakers, and pharmaceutical companies to strengthen efforts across the entire medicine lifecycle—from research and development to manufacturing, distribution, stewardship, and measuring real-world patient reach.

“From R&D through manufacturing, to access and stewardship, the Benchmark illustrates the potential for companies to develop more comprehensive approaches. But we need intensified, industry-wide action,” said Claudia Martínez, Director of Research at the foundation.

The 2026 AMR Benchmark demonstrates that while individual companies are making strides, the overall fight against superbugs requires urgent and coordinated global action to save millions of lives.